Numbers 2:1-8

1 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses and Aaron sayenge:

2 The childern of Israel shall pitch: euery man by his owne standert with the armes of their fathers houses a waye from the presence of the tabernacle of witnesse.

3 On the east syde towarde the rysynge of ye sonne shall they of the standert of the hoste of Iuda pitch with their armes: And Nahesson the sonne of Aminabab shalbe captaine ouer the sonnes of Iuda.

4 And his hoste and the numbre of them .lxxiiij. thousande and .vi hundred.

5 And nexte vnto him shall the trybe of Isachar pitche and Nathaneel the sonne of Zuar captayne ouer ye childre of Isachar:

6 his hoste and the numbre of them .liiij. thousande and .iiij. hundred.

7 And than the trybe of Zabulon: with Eliab the sonne of Helon captayne ouer the childern of Zabulon

8 and his hoste in the numbre of them: lvij. thousande and .iiij. hundred.

Numbers 2:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 2

This chapter contains the order of the encampment and march of the tribes of Israel in their proper places about the tabernacle; the general direction for the same is in Nu 1:1,2; the particulars follow; on the cast of the tabernacle the camp of Judah was to pitch, and under his standard the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, Nu 1:3-9; on the south side of it the camp of Reuben, and under his standard the tribes of Simeon and Gad, Nu 1:10-16; then the tabernacle, with the camp of the Levites round it, were next, to stand or set forward, Nu 1:17; and on the west side the camp of Ephraim, and under his standard the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin, Nu 1:18-24; and on the north side the camp of Dan, and under his standard the tribes of Asher and Naphtali, Nu 1:25-31; the sum total of the numbers of which camps are given, exclusive of the camp of Levi, Nu 1:32,33; and the chapter is concluded with observing, that all was done according to the commandment of God, Nu 1:34.